Vice President of Marketing

Position Title:  Vice President of Marketing

Company:  Visit SLO CAL

Location:  San Luis Obispo County CA (must be located in SLO CAL or willing to relocate)

Position Type: On-site, 1 day remote per week

Functional Area:  Marketing

Reports to:  President & CEO

Employment Type:  Full-Time Regular

Education Required:  Four-Year Related Degree (or equivalent experience)

Experience Required:  7 Years

Salary Range: $120k – $160k plus bonus & benefits (401k matching, health insurance, time off, wellness stipend and more)

This job posting will remain open while we gather applicants from July 1st to July 22nd. After the job positing closes, we will begin the interview process. Thank you for your patience as we are expecting to get a high volume of candidates for this position. 

Organization Description:

Visit SLO CAL (VSC) is the non-profit countywide destination marketing and management organization (DMMO) for SLO CAL. Its mission is to “Inspire travel and foster our unique experiences to create life-long ambassadors and economic growth for SLO CAL.” Its goal is to promote SLO CAL through marketing, advertising, public relations, group sales, promotions, events, sponsorship and film, branding the region as a choice destination for regional, national and international travelers alike. Visit SLO CAL works in partnership with tourism industry-related businesses including lodging properties, restaurants, wineries, breweries, activities, seven (7) local community destination marketing organizations and the state tourism organization, Visit California, to create a unified marketing approach that promotes the lifestyle of the countywide brand.  For more information, visit slocal.com.

Position Description:

Are you an experienced marketing professional looking to take the lead of an exceptional team?

Do you consider yourself a travel expert and love to highlight the amazing opportunities for tourists in SLO CAL?

Are your marketing plans successful and ambitious?

If you answered yes to these questions, we would like to discuss our open Vice President of Marketing position at Visit SLO CAL (VSC). This position offers an exciting opportunity for a talented marketing professional to find new and exciting ways to creatively express the travel opportunities within the destinations of SLO CAL.

Here's what your day will look like

Always busy, the Vice President of Marketing will be well-versed in the goals of the organization in order to incorporate them into the marketing strategy. Advancing the brand among key audiences is paramount, as well as cultivating relationships with our partners. All advertising, promotions, creative, media buying, communications, PR, events, partnerships, digital and web development, SEO, SEM, and the website fall under the purview of the Vice President of Marketing. As the primary management contact for our marketing partners, the VP of Marketing is an expert in destination marketing, specifically in SLO CAL's individual destinations. Besides these goals, the VP of Marketing is also responsible for mentoring, coaching and training their team in order for everyone to work together and propel the vision of VSC forward.

Who are you?

• You are vibrant, passionate, and self-motivated.
• You have an outstanding record of achievements in marketing.
• You are a driven, collaborative professional who can lead by example.

Marketing Team Management:

• Provide planning and leadership to the Marketing Department by ensuring that the appropriate structures, systems, competencies, values and measurements are developed and established in order to meet and exceed the marketing plan
• Demonstrate and communicate a thorough knowledge of product information: marketing initiatives, market research, brand strategy, media, challenges and opportunities (industry and competitive) that will influence the brand
• Develop and implement an integrated strategic content and marketing plan to advance VSC’s brand identity; broaden awareness of its programs and priorities; and increase the visibility of its programs across key audiences
• Identify challenges and emerging issues faced by the organization. Work with leadership team and staff to recognize internal and external marketing opportunities and solutions, and define and execute appropriate strategies to support them
• Develop and implement the annual business and marketing plan and budget which includes strategies laddering up to VSC’s three-year strategic plan and Experience SLO CAL 2050.
• Oversee development of creative materials, advertisements, media buying, promotions, website, SEO, SEM, CRM, systems and solutions
• Ensure all brand messaging is consistent, nurturing and enriching all external perceptions of the organization and growing SLO CAL market share
• Direct, manage, support and provide strong leadership to the partner agency(ies)
• Work in partnership with agency(ies) to identify potential new opportunities and develop plans and action steps to be instituted, managed and measured
• Prepare new product/partnership marketing plans for product/partnership introductions in cooperation with senior management, communications, operations and travel trade
• Clearly set expectations for all direct reports. Evaluate performance based upon expectations providing regular coaching and feedback
• Conduct timely performance appraisals of all direct reports to encourage, motivate and improve staff production and ensure consistency
• Develop and lead a marketing team that will cultivate and execute new concepts, channels and partnerships to position organization as an innovative leader in the tourism industry
• Analyze market trends and recommend changes to strategies based on analysis and feedback. Take calculated risks based on data-driven analytics
• Research and approve marketing related charges for accounting
• Prepare and present reports

New Employee Recruitment and Training:

• Actively network to seek out new talent and add strength to the organization
• Screen, interview and assist in selecting qualified candidates
• Manage and implement the on-boarding process for new marketing staff
• Facilitate, manage and track on-going training

Operational Duties:

• Manage priorities consistent with the annual Business and Marketing Plan and Strategic Direction 2026
• Ensure compliance with all standard policies and procedures
• Assist leadership team with implementation of new projects and facilitate additional responsibilities, as requested
• Develop valued relationships with partners based on broad knowledge of marketing, advertising, creative and data insights
• Successfully collaborate with agency(ies), departments, management and partners
• Engage and collaborate with other organizations
• Approve timecards and bi-monthly payroll
• Assist with technical issues as they pertain to marketing related systems
• Implement and communicate marketing projects and programs as required
• Communicate appropriate issues, competitive information, etc., up to management
• Travel willingly for marketing events, professional development and/or agency collaboration

Required Skills/Experience:

• Four-Year related degree (or equivalent experience)
• 7 years professional experience in marketing and management (experience with a DMO strongly preferred).
• Exceptional interpersonal communication, relationship building and customer service skills
• Experience managing agency relationships
• Experience with branding, messaging and research
• Broad usage and understanding of marketing platforms
• Strong knowledge of local market and its assets
• Ability to travel as necessary
• Ability to manage multiple projects, team members and agencies and resolve conflict effectively
• Problem solving skills and ability to propose and direct successful solutions
• Strong communication skills (oral and written) and exceptional presentations skills
• Ability to multi-task and to pivot quickly in a rapidly changing environment
• Tech savvy with proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite

Desired Traits/Abilities:

• Strategically focused and passionate about tourism
• Strong leadership skills with an inclusive and team-oriented focus
• Professional in appearance and manner
• Self-motivated and possessing a strong work ethic
• Detail-oriented, methodical and extremely organized work style
• Talent for tracking, multi-tasking and the ability to pivot quickly in a rapidly changing environment
• Problem solving skills and ability to propose and direct successful solutions
• Ability to work autonomously, yet collaborate with others as needed
• Strong drive and a tendency to thrive in a very fast-paced, ambitious environment
• Professional, adventurous, positive and confident attitude

Visit SLO CAL, an equal opportunity employer, has an organizational commitment to the principles of diversity and inclusion. In that spirit, we welcome all qualified individuals without regard to race, religion, color, sex, ancestry, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, national origin, medical condition, U.S. veteran/military status, pregnancy or reasonable accommodation. 

Visit SLO CAL offers an exciting opportunity for qualified, career-motivated professionals. We provide competitive compensation and the chance to work with talented people in a successful, fast-paced and pleasant environment. We offer many premium benefits including medical, dental, life insurance, vacation time and much more. 

For more information or to apply, visit the Jobs page on the slocal.com website.

Salary : $120,000 - $160,000